As Jesus passed from there, he saw a man named Mateo, who was sitting at the public tribute bench, and he said to him: Follow me. And he got up and followed him ”(Matt. 9: 9).
Coming to the end of the year, I propose that, in the four Saturdays that remain, we carefully study some characteristics of the evangelists and the richness that we can extract from their stories. For this, I suggest that you set aside a notebook to do an exercise throughout the month, which you can repeat and expand at the beginning of the new year as well.
Neuroscience has shown that when writing by hand, we use ten times more neurons than when writing on any keyboard. There is something unique in the stroke of the letters connected to the brain functions activated in that simple act, which allows the activity to be much more meaningful, memorable and triggering other functions and neural routes. Every Saturday, you can take time to read the entire Gospel, or at least select one of the stories told in it and write down your impressions, how each of the characters may have felt, with whom you identify most and why, some questions that arise, lessons that you learn, etc.
The first evangelist, Matthew, although he gives a fairly detailed account of some events, of his own history makes only a brief mention. However, in that short verse that introduces you to history as a disciple, there is nothing insignificant.
The immediacy of his obedience is remarkable and imitable.
Considered a traitor of the nation, he was despised and placed in the lowest echelon of society. He did not imagine that Jesus would notice him. But Jesus saw her heart ready to receive the truth. Matthew had already heard him preach and the Holy Spirit worked and prepared him for that call.
«No one can be successful in the service of God unless his whole heart is in the work and he regards all things as loss in the face of the excellence of the knowledge of Christ» (The Desire of All Ages, p. 239).
He immediately shared at a banquet whom he had met with his colleagues and other rejected people.
Have you ever felt that you were despised? That Jesus would not notice you?
Jesus still dines with publicans, traitors, sinners, and the despised. Keep these people in mind and hopefully you will find in Matthew’s pen the Jesus who passes by today and says:
«Follow me.»
